To Smack Or Not To Smack?

[Batz]

So full pack straight into 2.5l?

Thanks bats

No I build it up around three times, I let it settle out and pour the beer off and then build up. this way I end up with heaps of yeast.
I do use a stir plate.

 

[hughman666]

I smack and build up the starter enough for two 25lt brews (I brew 50lt at a time), I also have enough for 6 tubes of yeast for the yeast bank. Each of the tubes I then build up for two 25lt brews. I never go more than a second generation as I believe the yeast will not be the same, and hell 14 brews from one pack?

Easy as.

batz

I'm curious to know where the rule of no more than a second generation comes from. Is it just personal preference? I've had good results going to gen 4 with some yeasts (3068, 1272 etc) but some others (2001 for example) don't do so well.

Just wondering...

 

[Spiesy]

In his "Yeast" book, Jamil claims better results out of subsequent generations, up to a point - obviously this is dependent on the strain and condition of the yeast being used. From memory 3rd and 4th generations exhibited the most desirable characteristics (as a generalisation).

 

[Batz]

I'm curious to know where the rule of no more than a second generation comes from. Is it just personal preference? I've had good results going to gen 4 with some yeasts (3068, 1272 etc) but some others (2001 for example) don't do so well. Just wondering...

No rules with any brewing, the way I do things is just personal preference the same as any brewer. I have found the yeast can take on other flavors if used for to many generations and for the cost of a smack pack it works out well for me the way I do it.

I know one brewer who uses the same strain for years.

 

[stux]

I tend to stick to gen zero starters from splits personally. I have a persistant wild yeast problem (on my property!) and this keeps the problem at bay.

Damn swmbo and all her fruit trees

So up to 4 triple batches per pack. Bout a dollar for yeast then. At that rate the cost of ldme for the starter is more significant than the yeast.

The problem is spinning up a 12month old split to innocuoate 60L of lager takes forever

 

[Amber Fluid]

I'm curious to know where the rule of no more than a second generation comes from. Is it just personal preference? I've had good results going to gen 4 with some yeasts (3068, 1272 etc) but some others (2001 for example) don't do so well.Just wondering...

There was no mention that it was a "rule". As far as I can see it is personal preference.
Just saying is all.....

 

[Bribie G]

With number of generations, I've found that some yeasts can "drift" - for example in 2011 I bought a vial of San Diego super yeast at the Brisbane Conference and it was stunning, but after about 4 generations it stopped being "super" and was actually taking longer to attenuate than US-05 so I didn't go any further with it. I took a bottle to Warra48 in Feb last year, I don't know if he's still using it.

I'm currently on gen. 3 of my Wyeast 1768PC which is only available occasionally, and hoping that it stays true - which is seems to be doing so far.

 

[kcurnow]

With number of generations, I've found that some yeasts can "drift" - for example in 2011 I bought a vial of San Diego super yeast at the Brisbane Conference and it was stunning, but after about 4 generations it stopped being "super" and was actually taking longer to attenuate than US-05 so I didn't go any further with it. I took a bottle to Warra48 in Feb last year, I don't know if he's still using it.

I'm currently on gen. 3 of my Wyeast 1768PC which is only available occasionally, and hoping that it stays true - which is seems to be doing so far.

Drift generation will also be affected due to the fact that unless you pitch everything that was left over in the bottom of the fermenter, when you collect the yeast during fermentation you will either be collecting the more or less attenuative yeast cells depending on if you top or bottom crop.